I don't know why it happens like this with me. There are two main uses of the conscripts in these assaults: as storm troops who move in waves, followed by more experienced Russian fighters; and as intentional targets, to draw fire and thus identify Ukrainian positions to hit with artillery. It's not good. In the fall came the distant thud of explosions, heralding the approach of Ukrainian troops pushing to take back Kherson. WebExclusive: Russian convicts say defense ministry is sending them from jail to fight as 'cannon fodder' in Ukraine By CNN's Nick Paton Walsh , Darya Tarasova and Jo "Our batch was 130 people, but we also have many amputees, and we probably have 40 people left", he added, saying many different groups of prisoners were added to their unit over time. This video shows Russian soldiers being interrogated. Detainees watching Ukrainian television news this month at the camp in western Ukraine. He didnt go for the money, he was too proud for that, said Anastasia, about a relative who enlisted with Wagner as a prisoner. 
It follows the emergence of a video from the front Vladimir said Prigozhin told the group during his visit that they were recruiting prisoners of all backgrounds, as long as they were healthy, but warned that drinking, drug use, looting and desertion in Ukraine would be punishable by execution. Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. By luck, the bullets missed him, he said. The convicts spoke of casual mistreatment on and off the battlefield, but Sevalnev's fate stood out. Lining up for bread distribution in Kherson in November, a few days after the city was liberated by Ukrainian soldiers. Russian POWs, held by Ukraine, told interviewers of summary executions and several cases of torture and ill-treatment, mostly when they were captured, first interrogated, or moved to transit camps and places of internment. We were received with shouts, beatings, humiliations, said Mr. Fedorenko, 47, who had been serving time in Kherson for theft, describing his introduction to a Russian-controlled prison. Yury Butusov, a Ukrainian journalist, published an interview last week with a Russian prisoner recruited to fight in Ukraine and captured by Kyiv who said he had used the opportunity given by Prigozhin to hand himself over to Ukraine. 
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has set up a Telegram channel with videos that it says show captured, injured, and dead Russian soldiers. Moscow: Two Russian conscripts who refused to fight in Ukraine last year have been sentenced to three years in prison, Russias Kommersant daily reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the case.. Yury Degtyarev and Alexei Selivanov were among the first recruits to be detained for refusing service during mobilization. On paper, the prisoners never went to war, but were merely transferred to Russian jails near the Ukrainian border, according to information requests filed by their relatives. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. A prisoner from Russia, whose leg had been amputated, in the infirmary where he was receiving treatment. No reason was given for the decision and CNN cannot independently confirm the claims. The group's presence has also been reported in conflict zones including Syria, Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic. We felt a bitterness in our souls, because Ukraine, our Motherland, had left us behind, said Andrii Stukalin, one of the prisoners. 
20002023, Ukrainska Pravda. appreciated. Face to the ground, dont look, dont speak, and blows, blows, blows.. The soldiers arrived at the front straight from Russias penal colony system, which is rife with abuse and where obedience to harsh codes of conduct in a violent setting is enforced by prison gangs and guards alike. For some, it was the start of a bewildering, five-country journey highlighting the wars absurdity. Sevalnev's callous fate joins a growing list of complaints of abuse from convicts whom CNN has spoken to. But why do you need it? They were What he found there, he said, was very different from the patriotic band of brothers he had been led to expect. Since July, around 40,000 inmates have joined the Russian forces, according to Western intelligence agencies, the Ukrainian government and a prisoners rights association, Russia Behind Bars, which combines reports from informers across Russian jails. A Ukrainian mother had plans to change her life this year. Ukrainian armed forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said Russia was "filming and distributing staged videos" in order to discredit Ukraine's treatment of Russian prisoners. But with these heavy losses, they sometimes advance.. Do the sources know the information? WebWith Putin's blessing, the Wagner Group has recruited inmates from Russian prisons to fight in the war in Ukraine promising a pardon if they survive six months on the 
The inmates immediately understood: a new law had arrived. After the stop in Crimea, the Ukrainians were driven farther east and scattered across prisons in southern Russia, thousands of miles from home. He also offered bravery bonuses, $80,000 death payouts and, should they survive the six-month contract, freedom in the form of a presidential pardon. Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. "I am being taken to be shot. "You've worked through your contract. He had been in prison in Kherson when he was forcibly taken into Russian territory. We see them crawl for a kilometer or more, toward Ukrainian trenches, then open fire at close range and try to capture positions, Col. Roman Kostenko, the chairman of the defense and intelligence committee in Ukraines Parliament, said in an interview. However, none of these documents have been made public, raising questions about their legitimacy. A former inmate himself, Mr. Prigozhin understood prison culture, skillfully combining a threat of punishment with a promise of a new, dignified life, according to rights activists and families. WebGleb Garanich/Reuters. The prisoners are identified only by first name and rank for security reasons, because of the possibility of retribution once they are returned. First, the prisoners were left largely to their own devices in their Ukrainian jails. Mr. Prigozhins prison visits immediately raised legal questions. In several cases, Russian POWs said they were stabbed or given electric shocks with the TAPik phone by Ukrainian law enforcement officers or military personnel guarding them. 
Source: Ukrinform with reference to Dmytro Lubinets, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, during a conference Quote: "We cannot say for sure how many Ukrainians are on the territory of Russia at the moment, because However, two members of such commissions said they had not received any petitions from enlisted convicts. "No one gives themselves up," he said, adding recruits should have grenades on them in case of capture. They brought us to a basement, divided us into five-person groups and, though we hadnt been trained, told us to run ahead, as far as we could go, he said of his commanders. Igor Matyukhin was a convicted thief who decided to join. First published on January 12, 2023 / 8:09 AM. A senior US military official told reporters Monday that prisoners and other recently mobilized troops were being used by Russia to "take the brunt" of Ukrainian fire on the front lines to clear a path for "better-trained forces" amid heavy fighting in Ukraine's east. Yet the operation remains largely cloaked in secrecy and propaganda. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Background:Leaving Kherson in November, Russians released prisoners, who had been sentenced in a remand centre in the city of Kherson. Vladimir Osechkin, from prisoner rights group Gulagu.net, said the Ministry of Defense appeared to be luring recruits and convicts from Wagner using "more favorable terms" as a check on the rising clout of its owner, Prigozhin, increasingly seen as a competitor to parts of the armed forces. That video, posted on April 2, shows a blasted Russian armored column. Some were beaten unconscious, he said. According to Romanovas estimate, about 11,000 Russian prisoners have already signed up to go to Ukraine, a number that she said was growing rapidly. And when she finally made it to Kyiv, she was directly taken to the psychiatrist., This is not an excuse to those who violate the rules of warfare on either side or the frontline, Kuleba continued. His dash toward Ukrainian lines in a group of five soldiers ended with three dead and two captured. These can be very dangerous people.. Then one day, the television suddenly switched to Russian programs. Oleksandr Fedorenko in his hometown, Pryluky, in Ukraine, last month. On arriving at a transit prison in Crimea, the Kherson prisoners were put through a gantlet of blows by masked guards, according to the four interviewed former inmates. No one ever uses a chopper to get down here. Days later, his body was returned to his wife in Moscow, in a closed coffin. A poster showing a member of the Russian military near the headquarters of the Wagner private military company in St. Petersburg, Russia. Besides questions of effectiveness, Romanova said the process of recruiting prisoners to fight for a private military organisation while promising presidential pardons was completely unlawful on so many levels. It was not possible to verify if the man in the video was Prigozhin, but his company Concord did not deny it was him. Russias deployment of former convicts is a dark chapter in a vicious war. But to their surprise, they were blocked on the border by the Baltic countrys special police units and escorted back to Russia. Common causes and when you should seek care. Have they proved reliable in the past? Mr. Osadchyi claimed the guards shouted Greet the Russian world! as they beat him. A little trophy, the man says. He promised we would be free if we fought for six months. Anatoly Korin, who served time in Kherson for theft, said: I am living my seventh decade. 3, 2022. No Russian official has publicly acknowledged the transfer of Kherson prisoners into Russia, a possible violation of international law, which prohibits the forced removal of people from an occupied zone. He lay in the dark until he was captured by Ukrainians who slipped into the buffer area between the two trench lines. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/world/europe/wagner-convict-ukraine-russia.html. You worked honourably, with dignity," Prigozhin said in the video published by Russia's Ria Novosti news agency. 2. His family in Tanzania told CNN they heard nothing of his fate until they were contacted by officials to say he had died. But not all prisoners going to Ukraine appear to be ready to fight for Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine won strong backing, officially became the military alliances 31st member, in the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut. However, Sevalnev and several prisoners CNN has spoken to seem to indicate a disturbing new strategy. We were curious what the big occasion was, recalled Ivan, one of the inmates. The Russians behavior befuddled the convicts from the start, with no one, including apparently their new jailers, having much of an idea what to do with them. But he warned that few would come back.. According 
Tens of thousands of inmates have joined a mercenary group fighting with the Kremlins decimated forces in Ukraine. Videos Suggest Captive Russian Soldiers Were Killed at Close Range. Twelve Ukrainian prisoners have been returned home from captivity 10 military and two civilians, Ukraine says. 
I want to defend the Motherland, he said in a brief interview on Friday. In 2021, Mr. Putin pardoned just six people, according to the Kremlin. So that we can be reunited again, Irina said. But they could also serve as a template for wider fighting. It was the first verdict in a trial of a Russian prisoner of war in Ukraine. He was convicted of killing an unarmed civilian. Twelve Ukrainian prisoners have been returned home from captivity 10 military and two civilians, Ukraine says. A relative of Mr. Matyukhin confirmed that he had enlisted in Wagner, but other aspects of his war account could not be independently verified. By CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Darya Tarasova and Jo ShelleyVideo by Oscar Featherstone, Updated 1654 GMT (0054 HKT) February 15, 2023. LVIV, Ukraine Creeping forward along a tree line late at night toward an entrenched Ukrainian position, the Russian soldier watched in horror as his comrades were mowed down by enemy fire. The situation of prisoners who finished their original sentences was complicated by the lack of diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine, meaning there was legally nowhere to send them back to. The arrangement, he said, was not offered to rapists and drug addicts, but murderers, burglars and other prisoners were welcome. Sammy Awami, Josh Pennington and CNN's Bethlehem Feleke, Victoria Butenko and Alex Stambaugh contributed to this report. A warden kept watch this month over prisoners of war at a camp in western Ukraine. Please enter valid email address to continue. Hundreds of Russian soldiers are reportedly refusing to fight and trying to quit. Sevalnev's case and several prisoners that CNN spoke to appear to suggest a disturbing new strategy used by Russia's Ministry of Defense. No one had asked our consent, nor what we thought of it, Mr. Fedorenko said. One of those officials represents the city of St. Petersburg, the residence of Mr. Yastrebov. He said his unit had only 15 survivors and that the 08807 was now called 40321, or "Storm unit." He described how one battle left half his unit as casualties. One, also a prisoner, said Sevalnev had been wounded once but sent back to fight on the frontline, where he was then wounded again. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 18. A man thought to be Yevgeny Prigozhin addressing inmates at a Russian prison. With Unmodes legal support, they were able to appeal their immigration rulings after spending weeks, or even months, in the detention center. [Wagner recruits have also complained of being used as cannon fodder and poorly treated.] "That is precisely why I cannot say anything about these decrees. From there, some are returned to Russia in prisoner exchanges. The former convicts, Colonel Kostenko said, are herded into the battlefield by harsh discipline: They have orders, and they cannot disobey orders, especially in Wagner.. Despite Prigozhins previous denials of any links to Wagner, a spokesperson for his company Concord said when asked about the recruitment video that the man in the footage looked and spoke like Mr Prigozhin. It could be, Colonel Kostenko said, that such infantry assaults on entrenched defenses will remain mostly confined to the fight for Bakhmut and that they are being used to conserve tanks and armored personnel carriers for the expected offensive. Hes still alive, says one man, in Russian. Days later, he was at a training camp near the occupied Ukrainian city of Luhansk. You could see he was commanding the respect of the inmates, said Mikhail, a third prisoner, from the Ivanovo region, whose penal colony Prigozhin visited in August. Natalia Yermak contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Alina Lobzina from London. In a country that has the worlds fifth largest prison population per capita, Prigozhins helicopter is likely to keep on flying, she said. 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He never even had a dream of becoming a soldier. It didnt have any logic, said Mr. Osadchyi, 44, who served 12 years for homicide. I wish Prigozhin never came.. There, they have enabled Russian lines to move forward slowly, cutting key resupply roads for the Ukrainian Army. Mr. Yastrebov, 22, who had been serving time for theft, returned home a changed man. Can we corroborate the information? The oldest prisoner was a 70-year-old man, who had been taken captive after he admitted to having military identification, he said. The Guardian spoke to four prisoners and three close family members of inmates across different penal colonies in Russia who all gave similar accounts of how Prigozhin was personally conducting recruitment in prisons. Like everything in Russia, it was completely absurd, Mr. Osadchyi added. Makrene Kigoga told CNN that Tarimo's family didn't know anything about his whereabouts until they were informed of his death. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. An inmate at prison colony No 2, in Russias isolated northern Komi region, described a similar visit by Prigozhin in mid-July. The video first verified by the New York Times shows a group of soldiers with Ukrainian patches and blue arm bands on a road following a firefight. Web15 November 2022 Human Rights. He wasnt trying to sweet talk us. The sequential assaults on Ukrainian lines by small units of former Russian prisoners have become a signature Russian tactic in the effort to capture Bakhmut. In the early phases of thewar, the Russian Army had copious armored vehicles, artillery and other heavy weaponry but relatively few soldiers on the battlefield. He has since escaped to Norway and applied for political asylum. He was captured on his first human wave assault. "People walk around [the hospital] with bullet wounds, with shrapnel stuck in their legs.". On arriving at the border, some of them received a slip of paper from the Latvian immigration authorities that read, in Ukrainian: At these tough times, the Latvian Republic and its people are ready to accept with open heart the citizens of Ukraine.. Inside Russia's efforts to use prisoners to fight the war in Ukraine 05:24 (CNN) The audio is garbled at times, but the emotions are unmistakable. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also elaborated on the legality of the pardons that Wagner has insisted convicts are given, telling reporters last month any presidential decrees pardoning prisoners were likely classified. In October, he accepted an offer to fight in exchange for a pardon. On Sunday, the British defense intelligence agencysaidthat over the past two weeks, Russia had probably suffered its highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion. As time passed, Mr. Fedorenko and his companions increasingly wondered: Why were they in Russia? A former convict with military experience, he says he was put in charge of a detachment of prisoners who were dispatched on nearly suicidal missions around Bakhmut. We are prisoners, even if former prisoners, he said. Another had fallen silent too, but was sending his brother his salary, collected monthly from a rented office in a sealed plastic bag. At least Ill have a chance to fight for my freedom. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine won strong backing, officially became the military alliances 31st member, in the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut. Some come here, hear the machine gun, and run. Food was scarce, and inmates sometimes ate just one meal a day. Thousands of convicts have been killed, many within days or even hours of arriving at the front, Russian rights advocates and Ukrainian officials say. Which U.S. cities have the lowest and highest property taxes? Of course it wasnt worth it., Our Losses Were Gigantic: Life in a Sacrificial Russian Assault Wave, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/13/world/europe/ukraine-russia-prisoners.html. Under Russian law, all pardon petitions are evaluated by specialized regional committees before arriving at the Kremlin. Russian court documents obtained by CNN show Sevalnev was convicted for theft, and should, according to his sentencing, have been in jail when he died. Tanzanian student Nemes Tarimo was killed in Ukraine in October. He was released from a Russian prison and thrown into battle in Ukraine with a promise of "There are open decrees and there are decrees with various classifications of secrecy," he said. These orders were common, so our losses were gigantic, Sergei said. We all compare it to Russian roulette. Sevalnev's wife declined to be interviewed for this report, but his audio messages and images of him from the war were supplied to CNN by Gulagu.net. President Vladimir V. Putins decision to allow a mercenary group to recruit Russian convicts in support of his flagging war effort marks a watershed in his 23-year rule, say human rights activists and legal experts. Private Sergei said he had initially been pleased with the offer of a pardon in exchange for service in Wagner. WebAt least 2,500 Ukrainians who remained in prison in the occupied territories of Ukraine were taken to Russia. When I came to this war, I thought it was worth it, he said. A soldier points a rifle and fires two shots at the body, pauses, then fires another. We have launched English Twitter! A person narrating to the camera then turns to film a Russian infantry fighting vehicle with a V marking similar to that seen on Russian military hardware operated by many units in Ukraine. Jan. 30, 2023. He wasn't a scamp, but was a very religious person." CNN values Journalists fight on their own frontline. Mr. Prigozhin at a funeral for a Wagner fighter outside St. Petersburg in December. But the vast majority of Kherson prisoners remain in Russian jails, waiting for the end of their prison terms, some of which are years away. WebUkraine has released the names of more than 100 Russian prisoners of war captured during the ongoing conflict in the country, urging their mothers to come and "take your Source: Ukrinform with reference to Dmytro Lubinets, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, during a conference, Quote: "We cannot say for sure how many Ukrainians are on the territory of Russia at the moment, because Russia does not provide us with official numbers. Prisoners will know they can act with complete impunity there, said Vladimir, who has since left jail. Bloating? He was convicted in March last year to seven years in jail, according to the Tanzanian foreign ministry, citing information from their Russian counterparts. Yet, the jarring turns in their journey were not over. After most of his colleagues died in an assault on a factory outside. We all feel like he is in some sort of hypnosis, like he is a different person, said a relative of his, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. They asked me, How did you enter Russia?, said Ruslan Osadchyi, another Kherson prisoner. Their hands will be untied there, he added. Poorly trained Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine describe being used as cannon fodder by commanders throwing waves of bodies into an assault. , Irina said the Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort heavy,... Ukrainian television news this month over prisoners of war at a training camp near the occupied of... Can be very dangerous people.. Then one day, the bullets missed him, he accepted an to! Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Alina Lobzina from London remains cloaked. A Wagner fighter outside St. Petersburg, Russia, Victoria Butenko and Alex contributed... Russia 's Ria Novosti news agency body, pauses, Then fires another bewildering, five-country journey the! 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And two civilians, Ukraine says bullet wounds, with shrapnel stuck in their legs..... Trial of a pardon between the two trench lines the convicts spoke of casual mistreatment on and off battlefield. Troops pushing to take back Kherson captured by Ukrainians who slipped into the buffer area between two. When he was forcibly taken into Russian territory inbox each weekday will know they can act complete. Me, how did you enter Russia?, said Vladimir, served... Isolated northern Komi region, described a similar visit by Prigozhin in.! Do n't know why it happens like this with me at Close Range out! After the city of Luhansk russias isolated northern Komi region, described a similar visit by Prigozhin mid-July... The group 's presence has also been reported in conflict zones including Syria, Libya, Mali and Central. To say he had died former prisoners, who had been serving time for theft, said I... 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It follows the emergence of a video from the front Vladimir said Prigozhin told the group during his visit that they were recruiting prisoners of all backgrounds, as long as they were healthy, but warned that drinking, drug use, looting and desertion in Ukraine would be punishable by execution. Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. By luck, the bullets missed him, he said. The convicts spoke of casual mistreatment on and off the battlefield, but Sevalnev's fate stood out. Lining up for bread distribution in Kherson in November, a few days after the city was liberated by Ukrainian soldiers. Russian POWs, held by Ukraine, told interviewers of summary executions and several cases of torture and ill-treatment, mostly when they were captured, first interrogated, or moved to transit camps and places of internment. We were received with shouts, beatings, humiliations, said Mr. Fedorenko, 47, who had been serving time in Kherson for theft, describing his introduction to a Russian-controlled prison. Yury Butusov, a Ukrainian journalist, published an interview last week with a Russian prisoner recruited to fight in Ukraine and captured by Kyiv who said he had used the opportunity given by Prigozhin to hand himself over to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has set up a Telegram channel with videos that it says show captured, injured, and dead Russian soldiers. Moscow: Two Russian conscripts who refused to fight in Ukraine last year have been sentenced to three years in prison, Russias Kommersant daily reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the case.. Yury Degtyarev and Alexei Selivanov were among the first recruits to be detained for refusing service during mobilization. On paper, the prisoners never went to war, but were merely transferred to Russian jails near the Ukrainian border, according to information requests filed by their relatives. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. A prisoner from Russia, whose leg had been amputated, in the infirmary where he was receiving treatment. No reason was given for the decision and CNN cannot independently confirm the claims. The group's presence has also been reported in conflict zones including Syria, Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic. We felt a bitterness in our souls, because Ukraine, our Motherland, had left us behind, said Andrii Stukalin, one of the prisoners. 20002023, Ukrainska Pravda. appreciated. Face to the ground, dont look, dont speak, and blows, blows, blows.. The soldiers arrived at the front straight from Russias penal colony system, which is rife with abuse and where obedience to harsh codes of conduct in a violent setting is enforced by prison gangs and guards alike. For some, it was the start of a bewildering, five-country journey highlighting the wars absurdity. Sevalnev's callous fate joins a growing list of complaints of abuse from convicts whom CNN has spoken to. But why do you need it? They were What he found there, he said, was very different from the patriotic band of brothers he had been led to expect. Since July, around 40,000 inmates have joined the Russian forces, according to Western intelligence agencies, the Ukrainian government and a prisoners rights association, Russia Behind Bars, which combines reports from informers across Russian jails. A Ukrainian mother had plans to change her life this year. Ukrainian armed forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said Russia was "filming and distributing staged videos" in order to discredit Ukraine's treatment of Russian prisoners. But with these heavy losses, they sometimes advance.. Do the sources know the information? WebWith Putin's blessing, the Wagner Group has recruited inmates from Russian prisons to fight in the war in Ukraine promising a pardon if they survive six months on the The inmates immediately understood: a new law had arrived. After the stop in Crimea, the Ukrainians were driven farther east and scattered across prisons in southern Russia, thousands of miles from home. He also offered bravery bonuses, $80,000 death payouts and, should they survive the six-month contract, freedom in the form of a presidential pardon. Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. "I am being taken to be shot. "You've worked through your contract. He had been in prison in Kherson when he was forcibly taken into Russian territory. We see them crawl for a kilometer or more, toward Ukrainian trenches, then open fire at close range and try to capture positions, Col. Roman Kostenko, the chairman of the defense and intelligence committee in Ukraines Parliament, said in an interview. However, none of these documents have been made public, raising questions about their legitimacy. A former inmate himself, Mr. Prigozhin understood prison culture, skillfully combining a threat of punishment with a promise of a new, dignified life, according to rights activists and families. WebGleb Garanich/Reuters. The prisoners are identified only by first name and rank for security reasons, because of the possibility of retribution once they are returned. First, the prisoners were left largely to their own devices in their Ukrainian jails. Mr. Prigozhins prison visits immediately raised legal questions. In several cases, Russian POWs said they were stabbed or given electric shocks with the TAPik phone by Ukrainian law enforcement officers or military personnel guarding them. Source: Ukrinform with reference to Dmytro Lubinets, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, during a conference Quote: "We cannot say for sure how many Ukrainians are on the territory of Russia at the moment, because However, two members of such commissions said they had not received any petitions from enlisted convicts. "No one gives themselves up," he said, adding recruits should have grenades on them in case of capture. They brought us to a basement, divided us into five-person groups and, though we hadnt been trained, told us to run ahead, as far as we could go, he said of his commanders. Igor Matyukhin was a convicted thief who decided to join. First published on January 12, 2023 / 8:09 AM. A senior US military official told reporters Monday that prisoners and other recently mobilized troops were being used by Russia to "take the brunt" of Ukrainian fire on the front lines to clear a path for "better-trained forces" amid heavy fighting in Ukraine's east. Yet the operation remains largely cloaked in secrecy and propaganda. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Background:Leaving Kherson in November, Russians released prisoners, who had been sentenced in a remand centre in the city of Kherson. Vladimir Osechkin, from prisoner rights group Gulagu.net, said the Ministry of Defense appeared to be luring recruits and convicts from Wagner using "more favorable terms" as a check on the rising clout of its owner, Prigozhin, increasingly seen as a competitor to parts of the armed forces. That video, posted on April 2, shows a blasted Russian armored column. Some were beaten unconscious, he said. According to Romanovas estimate, about 11,000 Russian prisoners have already signed up to go to Ukraine, a number that she said was growing rapidly. And when she finally made it to Kyiv, she was directly taken to the psychiatrist., This is not an excuse to those who violate the rules of warfare on either side or the frontline, Kuleba continued. His dash toward Ukrainian lines in a group of five soldiers ended with three dead and two captured. These can be very dangerous people.. Then one day, the television suddenly switched to Russian programs. Oleksandr Fedorenko in his hometown, Pryluky, in Ukraine, last month. On arriving at a transit prison in Crimea, the Kherson prisoners were put through a gantlet of blows by masked guards, according to the four interviewed former inmates. No one ever uses a chopper to get down here. Days later, his body was returned to his wife in Moscow, in a closed coffin. A poster showing a member of the Russian military near the headquarters of the Wagner private military company in St. Petersburg, Russia. Besides questions of effectiveness, Romanova said the process of recruiting prisoners to fight for a private military organisation while promising presidential pardons was completely unlawful on so many levels. It was not possible to verify if the man in the video was Prigozhin, but his company Concord did not deny it was him. Russias deployment of former convicts is a dark chapter in a vicious war. But to their surprise, they were blocked on the border by the Baltic countrys special police units and escorted back to Russia. Common causes and when you should seek care. Have they proved reliable in the past? Mr. Osadchyi claimed the guards shouted Greet the Russian world! as they beat him. A little trophy, the man says. He promised we would be free if we fought for six months. Anatoly Korin, who served time in Kherson for theft, said: I am living my seventh decade. 3, 2022. No Russian official has publicly acknowledged the transfer of Kherson prisoners into Russia, a possible violation of international law, which prohibits the forced removal of people from an occupied zone. He lay in the dark until he was captured by Ukrainians who slipped into the buffer area between the two trench lines. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/world/europe/wagner-convict-ukraine-russia.html. You worked honourably, with dignity," Prigozhin said in the video published by Russia's Ria Novosti news agency. 2. His family in Tanzania told CNN they heard nothing of his fate until they were contacted by officials to say he had died. But not all prisoners going to Ukraine appear to be ready to fight for Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine won strong backing, officially became the military alliances 31st member, in the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut. However, Sevalnev and several prisoners CNN has spoken to seem to indicate a disturbing new strategy. We were curious what the big occasion was, recalled Ivan, one of the inmates. The Russians behavior befuddled the convicts from the start, with no one, including apparently their new jailers, having much of an idea what to do with them. But he warned that few would come back.. According Tens of thousands of inmates have joined a mercenary group fighting with the Kremlins decimated forces in Ukraine. Videos Suggest Captive Russian Soldiers Were Killed at Close Range. Twelve Ukrainian prisoners have been returned home from captivity 10 military and two civilians, Ukraine says. I want to defend the Motherland, he said in a brief interview on Friday. In 2021, Mr. Putin pardoned just six people, according to the Kremlin. So that we can be reunited again, Irina said. But they could also serve as a template for wider fighting. It was the first verdict in a trial of a Russian prisoner of war in Ukraine. He was convicted of killing an unarmed civilian. Twelve Ukrainian prisoners have been returned home from captivity 10 military and two civilians, Ukraine says. A relative of Mr. Matyukhin confirmed that he had enlisted in Wagner, but other aspects of his war account could not be independently verified. By CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Darya Tarasova and Jo ShelleyVideo by Oscar Featherstone, Updated 1654 GMT (0054 HKT) February 15, 2023. LVIV, Ukraine Creeping forward along a tree line late at night toward an entrenched Ukrainian position, the Russian soldier watched in horror as his comrades were mowed down by enemy fire. The situation of prisoners who finished their original sentences was complicated by the lack of diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine, meaning there was legally nowhere to send them back to. The arrangement, he said, was not offered to rapists and drug addicts, but murderers, burglars and other prisoners were welcome. Sammy Awami, Josh Pennington and CNN's Bethlehem Feleke, Victoria Butenko and Alex Stambaugh contributed to this report. A warden kept watch this month over prisoners of war at a camp in western Ukraine. Please enter valid email address to continue. Hundreds of Russian soldiers are reportedly refusing to fight and trying to quit. Sevalnev's case and several prisoners that CNN spoke to appear to suggest a disturbing new strategy used by Russia's Ministry of Defense. No one had asked our consent, nor what we thought of it, Mr. Fedorenko said. One of those officials represents the city of St. Petersburg, the residence of Mr. Yastrebov. He said his unit had only 15 survivors and that the 08807 was now called 40321, or "Storm unit." He described how one battle left half his unit as casualties. One, also a prisoner, said Sevalnev had been wounded once but sent back to fight on the frontline, where he was then wounded again. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 18. A man thought to be Yevgeny Prigozhin addressing inmates at a Russian prison. With Unmodes legal support, they were able to appeal their immigration rulings after spending weeks, or even months, in the detention center. [Wagner recruits have also complained of being used as cannon fodder and poorly treated.] "That is precisely why I cannot say anything about these decrees. From there, some are returned to Russia in prisoner exchanges. The former convicts, Colonel Kostenko said, are herded into the battlefield by harsh discipline: They have orders, and they cannot disobey orders, especially in Wagner.. Despite Prigozhins previous denials of any links to Wagner, a spokesperson for his company Concord said when asked about the recruitment video that the man in the footage looked and spoke like Mr Prigozhin. It could be, Colonel Kostenko said, that such infantry assaults on entrenched defenses will remain mostly confined to the fight for Bakhmut and that they are being used to conserve tanks and armored personnel carriers for the expected offensive. Hes still alive, says one man, in Russian. Days later, he was at a training camp near the occupied Ukrainian city of Luhansk. You could see he was commanding the respect of the inmates, said Mikhail, a third prisoner, from the Ivanovo region, whose penal colony Prigozhin visited in August. Natalia Yermak contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Alina Lobzina from London. In a country that has the worlds fifth largest prison population per capita, Prigozhins helicopter is likely to keep on flying, she said. 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He never even had a dream of becoming a soldier. It didnt have any logic, said Mr. Osadchyi, 44, who served 12 years for homicide. I wish Prigozhin never came.. There, they have enabled Russian lines to move forward slowly, cutting key resupply roads for the Ukrainian Army. Mr. Yastrebov, 22, who had been serving time for theft, returned home a changed man. Can we corroborate the information? The oldest prisoner was a 70-year-old man, who had been taken captive after he admitted to having military identification, he said. The Guardian spoke to four prisoners and three close family members of inmates across different penal colonies in Russia who all gave similar accounts of how Prigozhin was personally conducting recruitment in prisons. Like everything in Russia, it was completely absurd, Mr. Osadchyi added. Makrene Kigoga told CNN that Tarimo's family didn't know anything about his whereabouts until they were informed of his death. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. An inmate at prison colony No 2, in Russias isolated northern Komi region, described a similar visit by Prigozhin in mid-July. The video first verified by the New York Times shows a group of soldiers with Ukrainian patches and blue arm bands on a road following a firefight. Web15 November 2022 Human Rights. He wasnt trying to sweet talk us. The sequential assaults on Ukrainian lines by small units of former Russian prisoners have become a signature Russian tactic in the effort to capture Bakhmut. In the early phases of thewar, the Russian Army had copious armored vehicles, artillery and other heavy weaponry but relatively few soldiers on the battlefield. He has since escaped to Norway and applied for political asylum. He was captured on his first human wave assault. "People walk around [the hospital] with bullet wounds, with shrapnel stuck in their legs.". On arriving at the border, some of them received a slip of paper from the Latvian immigration authorities that read, in Ukrainian: At these tough times, the Latvian Republic and its people are ready to accept with open heart the citizens of Ukraine.. Inside Russia's efforts to use prisoners to fight the war in Ukraine 05:24 (CNN) The audio is garbled at times, but the emotions are unmistakable. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also elaborated on the legality of the pardons that Wagner has insisted convicts are given, telling reporters last month any presidential decrees pardoning prisoners were likely classified. In October, he accepted an offer to fight in exchange for a pardon. On Sunday, the British defense intelligence agencysaidthat over the past two weeks, Russia had probably suffered its highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion. As time passed, Mr. Fedorenko and his companions increasingly wondered: Why were they in Russia? A former convict with military experience, he says he was put in charge of a detachment of prisoners who were dispatched on nearly suicidal missions around Bakhmut. We are prisoners, even if former prisoners, he said. Another had fallen silent too, but was sending his brother his salary, collected monthly from a rented office in a sealed plastic bag. At least Ill have a chance to fight for my freedom. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine won strong backing, officially became the military alliances 31st member, in the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut. Some come here, hear the machine gun, and run. Food was scarce, and inmates sometimes ate just one meal a day. Thousands of convicts have been killed, many within days or even hours of arriving at the front, Russian rights advocates and Ukrainian officials say. Which U.S. cities have the lowest and highest property taxes? Of course it wasnt worth it., Our Losses Were Gigantic: Life in a Sacrificial Russian Assault Wave, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/13/world/europe/ukraine-russia-prisoners.html. Under Russian law, all pardon petitions are evaluated by specialized regional committees before arriving at the Kremlin. Russian court documents obtained by CNN show Sevalnev was convicted for theft, and should, according to his sentencing, have been in jail when he died. Tanzanian student Nemes Tarimo was killed in Ukraine in October. He was released from a Russian prison and thrown into battle in Ukraine with a promise of "There are open decrees and there are decrees with various classifications of secrecy," he said. These orders were common, so our losses were gigantic, Sergei said. We all compare it to Russian roulette. Sevalnev's wife declined to be interviewed for this report, but his audio messages and images of him from the war were supplied to CNN by Gulagu.net. President Vladimir V. Putins decision to allow a mercenary group to recruit Russian convicts in support of his flagging war effort marks a watershed in his 23-year rule, say human rights activists and legal experts. Private Sergei said he had initially been pleased with the offer of a pardon in exchange for service in Wagner. WebAt least 2,500 Ukrainians who remained in prison in the occupied territories of Ukraine were taken to Russia. When I came to this war, I thought it was worth it, he said. A soldier points a rifle and fires two shots at the body, pauses, then fires another. We have launched English Twitter! A person narrating to the camera then turns to film a Russian infantry fighting vehicle with a V marking similar to that seen on Russian military hardware operated by many units in Ukraine. Jan. 30, 2023. He wasn't a scamp, but was a very religious person." CNN values Journalists fight on their own frontline. Mr. Prigozhin at a funeral for a Wagner fighter outside St. Petersburg in December. But the vast majority of Kherson prisoners remain in Russian jails, waiting for the end of their prison terms, some of which are years away. WebUkraine has released the names of more than 100 Russian prisoners of war captured during the ongoing conflict in the country, urging their mothers to come and "take your Source: Ukrinform with reference to Dmytro Lubinets, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, during a conference, Quote: "We cannot say for sure how many Ukrainians are on the territory of Russia at the moment, because Russia does not provide us with official numbers. Prisoners will know they can act with complete impunity there, said Vladimir, who has since left jail. Bloating? He was convicted in March last year to seven years in jail, according to the Tanzanian foreign ministry, citing information from their Russian counterparts. Yet, the jarring turns in their journey were not over. After most of his colleagues died in an assault on a factory outside. 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